Kingmaker

Iolanestri Nanthia Voralius

Description:

Tends to dress in comfortable clothes, and bright colours unless she needs to dress more formally to make a deal.

Prefers to fight with two short swords.

Bio:

Iolanestri Nanthia Voralius

“Maruntia Zodie” (Varisian nickname meaning Little Star)

Iolanestri is a 28 year old human, she is the fairly average height of 5’5". She has what her doting grandfather Marcellano likes to call “Azlanti features”: A high forehead with a widow’s peak, strong brows and cheekbones, blue black hair (which she keeps long), pale white skin, and striking violet eyes.

Iolan grew up a pampered child whose loving family (and their fortune) afforded her endless priviledge and opportunity. Growing up, her immediate family spent roughly half their time at the vinyards in the countryside (where they have a sprawling country estate), and in the Andoran capital city of Almas (where they have a luxurious mansion). Her parents, Pontia and Othollo, gave her three older brothers and three older sisters. She has many aunts, uncles and cousins.

A charming and good natured, but rather spoiled, youngest child of a large and sprawling family, Iolan had the freedom to be much less responsible than her siblings. Iolan eagerly learned her lessons, but found them easy enough to grow boring at times. Thus she frequently escaped all tutors and minders so she could wander and explore.

Iolan’s wanderings caused her family much distress (and some embarassment upon occasion), but Iolan became proficient at charming her way out of trouble… or gauging when it would be prudent to call upon her grandfather to rescue her from her escapades.

Early on, Iolan discovered travelling Varisian entertainers, and frequently haunted their encampments when they were nearby. Though she is not accepted as ‘family’ by them, she is friends with, or at least on friendly terms with, quite a few of the travelling folk. They have even nicknamed her “Little Star”, because she is short (compared to them) and because she flits from interest to interest like one of Desna’s butterflies. Iolan learned to love dancing as a performance from the Varisians, to complement her formal dance lessons. She learned many practical lessons in the more sneaky arts from her Varisian friends with as much alacrity as she learned her formal lessons from her tutors.

Iolan in a Varisian dance costume.

Iolan has travelled extensively around the Inner Seas countries. She has done a great deal of trading for her family, as well as a great deal of adventuring on her own or with Pathfinder Society groups. She is comfortable in any strata of society, from dealing with dockside guttersnipes to making deals with the aristocracy of other countries.

Iolan is always curious, and always looking for a new adventure. She feels most closely connected to Desna, whose domains of Freedom, Luck, and Travel, and whose motto of “Experience new wonders” fit Iolan’s personality perfectly.

Voralius Family

Iolan’s family is old nobility; they can easily trace their lineage back to the height of the Old Taldorian Empire, through to prominent positions in Imperial Cheliax. When the revolution occurred in Andoran in 4669 A.R., most of the Voralius clan chose to support the revolutionaries and remain residents. They did this knowing full well that the family would lose the majority of their holdings at the time, confiscated by the new government.

Enthusiastic participation in Andoran’s developing government and culture worked in the Voralius family’s favour; they have rebuilt the family fortunes to a very high level, specializing in merchant ventures and vinyards. But while the Voralius family are exquisite opportunists, they are not merely self-serving cynics. They are active parts of their communities at all levels. The family embraces and believes in the values of their fellow countrymen, valuing truth highly, holding slavery in contempt, and eager to champion the benefits of a democratic system based on demonstrated merit.

Voralius Family Business

The Voralius family has two major income streams. They are a major trading concern, with merchant ventures, caravans, trade expeditions, and even a storefront in Almas, the capital city of Andoran, where the family’s trade headquarters are also centered. They have many warehouses and office properties in major Andoran cities, and even a few in other countries of the Inner Sea.

The other family business focus is vinyards and winemaking. The Voralius family have a major vinyard, producing high-end wine on old vines; they also have newer fields, where they make cheaper wines to appeal to a more low end market. The family readily sells the cheaper wines to other merchants for resale, but tend to keep their high end wine distribution to themselves.

Iolan’s Goals (Why she will have a stake in supporting Innisfree)

Selling wine:
Iolan’s family is sending her/supporting her venture, to test-expand thier market into this fledgling country. If the country grows, the market will grow.

Noble villa:
Iolan will be constructing a noble’s villa as an initial base of operations, and place to live. Stability of the country will equal personal/business safety.

New vines:
Iolan will be starting a new vinyard, to test some hardier varieties of grapes. The grapes will be made into new varieties of wines, hopefully to good profit. Stability of the country will be good for long term growth and profit.

Merchant venture:
The Voralius family is interested in getting in on the ground floor of merchant activity in a new country. Helping to guide the shape and growth of mercantilism in Innisfree will mean that the family will be more likely to get the best position in the market.

Pathfinder society:
Iolan is a part of the Pathfinder society, and is interested in observing as things develop in this exciting new country. Will the locals discover long forgotten treasure/historical sites as they expand and grow?

Iolan’s attention span:
Iolan needs new experiences; she is good at what she does, and she can focus to accomplish goals very well… but she is much more interested in starting projects than sheperherding or nurturing them to conclusion. The various challenges faced by a new country should keep her occupied for a good long time!